OWENSBORO, Ky. (3/14/14) — Twenty law enforcement executives from agencies across Kentucky graduated today from the Criminal Justice Executive Development program, an advanced leadership course designed for supervisors at the state's small - and medium - size agencies.

Guest speaker, Covington Police Department Chief Michael "Spike" Jones shared his belief that law enforcement is an emotional job that cannot be separated from everyday life.

"Police work is an emotional job when it's done right," said Jones. "Some people say, 'keep your personal and professional lives separate' –surrender that idea. You're the same person at work that you are home. We're not professional actors portraying dramatic roles on stage. We're as real in life as it gets. It doesn't get any more real than this. Our world is too small and time is too short to believe that we can compartmentalize ourselves emotionally and socially from our work - it just can't be done," he continued. "So the questions we have to ask is how do we lead when no one's looking? Do we live the words we speak? When I'm at home, do I behave as a leader in front of my children? When I walk the leader's path in front of my children, what lessons am I teaching them? When I fail to that, what lessons am I teaching them?"

CJED is a five-week program that focuses on identifying, analyzing and solving problems as well as leadership, personnel administration, operations, fiscal management, executive and environmental relationships.

The purpose of the course is to provide students with the academic background, leadership skills and management techniques required for the future. Each session enhances leadership abilities and encourages the development of visionary thinkers.

To take part in CJED, potential students must be supervisors who rank sergeant or above. They must apply for entrance into the program and be selected by a committee of CJED graduates from across the commonwealth.

Students attend CJED courses for one week each month for five months.

The Department of Criminal Justice Training is a state agency located on Eastern Kentucky University's campus. The agency is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies and was the first accredited public safety training program in the nation. In 2006, the academy also became the first law enforcement training academy in the nation to be designated as a CALEA flagship agency.